The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-03
THE DEMON or THE FIRE.
a Remarkable Poem Attributed to
Edgar Allen Poe.

tutt We hfo hWhTb tuc hOONc OopdOn
will attract attention end excite much
speculation. That doubts will be en-
tertained concerning the real author
ship OF the poem is TO be expected. II
will be asked: Why was this poem
not given to the public years ago by
| thole who had access 10 Poe's private
papers, letters and unfinished work.
Examination OF two editions OF Poe's
completes works IA Is to disclose any
reference TO this performances. The
manner in which the poem comes TO
us preclude3 the idea that an impoei-
ton is practiced. The integrity Of the
persons from whose hsnfs we received
the poem is unimpeachsble. The re-
semblsnce TO "The Raven" and "The
Bells will be rema ked. The pictures
suggested are such as Poe conceived
there is Pos's vigor and cumulative
force, with much OF the weirdness that
cheracterizes his strongest poems.
Like pha. tasmsgoric lemsns" Is pre-
cisey such a picture rs Poe's imsgins-
ton would give us. The person who
retains the original copy has reason
to believe the poem was written OF
period when Poe's besetdng Sin
broughl him TO the verge Of despair.
In the deepest death Of midnight,
| While the sad and solemn swell
| Still was floating. family echoed
From the forests chapel boil;
| Family, talterinE, heating,
Ger the sable waves OF air, -
| That were through the m dnight rolling,
| Chaisd and bills-y With to fing,
| In my chamber lay dreaming, &,
| And my dreams we're dreAms feroshadeWed
| Ola heart foredoomed 70 care.
As tho last long lingering echo
OF the midnight mystic chime,
Lisping through the cable biiloW
Uf the thither shore Of tine,
Leaving on toe starry silence
Not shadow nor q trace,
10 a aui' eiing sigh departed
From my couch, IN fear, started
Started TO my ieot In terror.
For my dreams phantasmh errer
PAINTED In the ftfu, ace
A frightful, febdiBh. flaming face.
On the red hearth's reddest center,
From the blazing knot Of oak,
Seemed to grin and gibe the phantoms
As in terror / awoko.
And my slumberinE eyelids streaming'
| A / struggled TO the h00r-
| Still IN that dread vision ieeming,
| Turned my gaIs toward the cleaning
Hearth, and there, oh, GOdt saw 1t.
And from its d .nirg jawit
|
| Bubbling, guIgling streim OF gore.
| STeechless, struck with stony silonos.
| Frozen to tho floor / stood
Till my very brain seemed kissing
| With that Kissing, bubbling bleed.
| Till felt my Ii o stream DOSING,
| 0oIing from those lam bent l %,
| TIL tho demon seemed 10 name mo.
Then a woDdrous calm o'eroame nae,
| And fell back on my plllsw
In apparent soul eclipse.
| Thus, as In death seeming shadows,
In the 10y pail OF fear.
| / lay stricken, came h0arso ana
HideOuB murmur TO my ear;
| Came murmur, like the murmur
~ assassins IN their sleep.
MutteriDE higher, higher. higher,
ii AN demon Of the Gro.
| am arch fend OF the htc,
| And each blazing roofs thy pyre,
| And my sweotest incense d.
The blood and tears my victims weep.
"How | revel en- tho prairie,
low L roar amidst the pines.
How laugh as from the. village
Ger the snow the red hame shinesi
How hear the shrioks Of iertsr,
With life in every breath,
| bow scream with lambert laughter
AZ 1 hutl each cracking ratter
ID .wn the fell nbys of IRE.
Until h,sher. higher. higher,
Leap The hiRh priests oil nay altar,
In their merry dance ofdoath
81 am monarch Of tho fre.
am royal King Of death,
World encircllns with toe shadow
| Gifts doom upon my breatn,
With the symbol Of hereafter
Cleaning from my fat face
command tho etern al Ere,
Higher, higher, higher, higher,
| Losp my ministering demons.
Like phap tas maSorio lsmans,
HugRing universal nature
In their hideous en- cTace.
Then a somber silence shut mo
In her solemn shroudod deep.
And sun bored ike an infant
In tho cradle OF the deep,
Til the beltry from tho turost
Trombled with the mstir s.soko;
Aud the martins from the edge
OF their lichen hidden ledge
Shimmered through tho Lssset arches,
While tho light, in t0rn Ale', marches,
Like routed army struggling
Through the serried RANKS OF sak.
Through my open trStted easement
Filtered in n -em ulous nee,
From the tall and shady u. dent
Where the robin .sIiod his throat
Tiny wooer, brave breasted robin,
Quantity calling for his mate,
From my slumber, nightmare ridden,
With tho memory Of that diro
Demon In my central hre
Like my oy 'sinterior mirrer,
: Like tho aduW Of fate,
But the dendish Gro had smddered
To white and ferOlsss heap.
! And no k, OF Of oak was bias ns
As II blessed upon nav sleee.
But on the red hearth's reddest eenter'
Where that demons fnoo had shown,
: The shadOwy lightnine seemed to linger,
And to point with spectral angor
To n Bible, MASSIVE, golden.
, On table, carved and eltGp.
Al d bowed and said, All power
IL Of God, and God alone
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